19th century
The 19th century is a one-hundred year period of time that spans the years 1800 to 1899. In film, storylines that take place during the 19th century can usually be broken down into several subgenres. Stories set in 19th century England are generally referred to as the Victorian-era, when the British monarchy was ruled by Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. The stories take place after the Industrial Revolution and often involved the internecine struggles of class warfare between the English aristocracy and the working class. It is also the era that gave birth to the practice of using deductive reasoning to solve crimes, as exemplified by the character of Sherlock Holmes, classically played by Basil Rathbone and more recently by Robert Downey, Jr. in a series of summer blockbusters. It is also the time of Jack the Ripper, who stalked the gas-lit corridors of London's East End in the Whitechapel district, murdering prostitutes in the autumn of 1888. The Jack the Ripper murders were not the only movie-worthy curiosity taking place at this time. Director David Lynch chronicled the tragic story of Joseph "John" Merrick, who became known as the Elephant Man. The horror genre in particular has carved out it's own niche in 19th century British culture, with stories of ambitious scientists transforming into hedonistic madmen and gentleman vampires buying up churchyards in Purfleet while seducing young women. Across the proverbial pond in the United States, the 19th century serves as the backdrop to films of the Western genre. It also includes films about the struggles and inhumanity of slavery in America and how it ultimately led to a Civil War, dividing the nation between the pro-slavery South who fought for states' rights and the abolitionist North who championed the belief that a house divided could not stand. Following the timeline of the Civil War is the era of the Cowboy. Rugged manly men with big hats, bigger mustaches and even bigger guns. Men who yearned for nothing more than the company of a pleasing woman, the thrill of a game of Faro, camping out under the stars with a harmonica, and of course, the occasional shoot-out. Some of these individuals strove to be a little bit more however, even to the point of donning a black mask, taking up a partnership with an Indian kemosabe and riding forth with a revolver of silver bullets in the name of justice. Masked justice doesn't always require a white hat however. Sometimes the hat is black and may even be accompanied by a matching cape. Such was the case of a certain mustached "bandito" from California. No one ever had to inquire "Who was that masked man?" when he was around, for he signed his name in the stylish three-stroke sword swipe that legend recalls as the Mark of Zorro. Notable years 1810 * In Night of Dark Shadows, Charles Collins had an affair with his brother Gabriel's wife, Angelique. Angelique loved Charles more than she could ever love Gabriel, and the two enjoyed a passionate if albeit brief love affair. Charles learned that Angelique was actually a witch, and that she had cast a spell upon him, which forced him to fall in love with her. One evening, Gabriel learned of his wife's mystical heritage, as well as her extra-marital indiscretions with Charles. The two brothers came to blows and Gabriel's marriage to Angelique was essentially destroyed. Gabriel alerted a local clergyman named Reverend Strack who promptly had Angelique arrested for witchcraft (he charged her with the mysterious murder of a fellow clergyman named Harridge). After Angelique's trial and subsequent execution, Charles went insane. He tracked Reverend Strack down and trampled him to death beneath the feet of his horse. 1816 * June 16th: Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, Claire Clairmont and Doctor John Polidori spend the evening at Byron's summer manor, Villa Diodati. A tremendous storm rages outside the group spends the evening challenging one another to craft tales of horror. Mary Shelley writes what will one day become her most infamous work, Frankenstein. A retelling of these events is presented in the 1986 film, Gothic. 1817 * In an alternate history presented in Frankenstein Unbound, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley exist in the same reality as that of the characters from Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, including Victor Frankenstein, the Frankenstein Monster, Elizabeth Lavenza and Justine Moritz. A scientist from the year 2031 journeyed backwards in time where he met Mary Shelley and struck up a relationship with her. 1822 * In the 1998 film Bride of Chucky, this was the year that the Lockport Guardian newspaper was first established. It stand to reason that the town of Lockport, located in the U.S. state of Illinois was founded in or around this year. 1837 * Victoria becomes the Queen of England, thus beginning the Victorian-era. Many films take place during her reign, particularly during the latter half of the century. 1845 * The events of the 1932 film Murders in the Rue Morgue take place in this year. In Paris, France, a demented scientist, Doctor Mirakle, uses blood from his highly trained gorilla and injects them into women, causing their deaths. Medical student Pierre Dupin investigates the murders and begins to suspect Mirakle, who has his ape, Erik, kidnap Dupin's true love, Camille L'Espanaye. 1853 * The events of the 1920 silent film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde take place during this year. 1858 * The events of the 2012 Western film Django Unchained take place during this year. 1861 * April: The Battle of Fort Sumter leads to the secession of South Carolina from the Union, which signals the beginning of the American Civil War. 1865 * April 15th: President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. This has been chronicled in many films over the years such as 2012's Lincoln. However, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter presents an alternate theory as to how these events may have played out. 1872 * In Dracula A.D. 1972, Dracula and his nemesis Van Helsing battle one another on top of a stagecoach. The vehicle overturns and Dracula is impaled by a broken spoke from one of the wheels. Van Helsing presses down harder on the makeshift wooden stake to finish him off. 1884 * The events of the 2006 romance film The Illusionist take place during this year. 1887 * The events of the 2003 comedy Shanghai Knights take place during this year. 1888 * The unidentified madmen that has come to be known as Jack the Ripper murders at least five prostitutes in London's East End. His legend has become the basis of many films over the years. * Many of the events from David Lynch's The Elephant Man take place during this year. The film also chronicles the events leading up to the death of John Merrick in 1890. 1891 * The events of the remake of The Wolfman take place during this year. English stage actor Lawrence Talbot is bitten by a werewolf and inherits the curse of lycanthropy. After clawing his way through his home town of Blackmoor, as well as raising Hell in London, Lawrence finally realizes that the one responsible for his condition is his own father, Sir John Talbot. 1893 * The events of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula take place during this year. Although the novel itself is published in 1897, many film adaptations of the novel keep the timeline relatively close to this year. 1897 * The events of Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula take place during this year. This includes Jonathan Harker's visit to Transylvania. Dracula moving to London and seducing Mina Murray and the gathering of heroes who chase Dracula back to his home country for the final confrontation. 1899 * The events of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen take place during this year. Category:Centuries Category:At the Earth's Core (1976)/Miscellaneous Category:Count Dracula (1970)/Miscellaneous Category:Count of Monte Cristo, The (2002)/Miscellaneous Category:Django Unchained (2012)/Miscellaneous Category:Dracula (1958)/Miscellaneous Category:Dracula (1992)/Miscellaneous Category:Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)/Miscellaneous Category:Frankenstein Unbound/Miscellaneous Category:Gothic (1986)/Miscellaneous Category:House of the Seven Gables, The (1940)/Miscellaneous Category:Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966)/Miscellaneous Category:League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The (2003)/Miscellaneous Category:Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)/Miscellaneous Category:Nosferatu (1922)/Miscellaneous Category:Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)/Miscellaneous Category:Wolfman, The (2010)/Miscellaneous